Paediatric Society of Papua

New Guinea

1974 - 2014

Celebrating 4 decades in service

Dr.M.Kiromat & Prof.J.Vince

• Outline

• Decade 1 and 2 : Past • “A walk down Memory Lane”

• Decade 3 and 4 : Present

• Future

1974 - 2014

Past: Decade 1974 - 1984

• Planning began in 1974

– Various correspondence between Professor John Biddulph , Dr Jeffrey Tuvi, Dr Peter Pangkatana and Dr Laupu Bussim to name a few...

– Health HQ was at Konedobu

– PNG became self governing on December 1, 1973

• March 19, 1975 – 3pm at the Postgraduate room, 2nd floor, Clinical Science

Building, PMGH – Inaugural meeting with nomination of office bearers. – President Dr Jeffrey Tuvi, Secretary/Treasurer Prof

Biddulph, Executive members Dr Peter Pangkatana & Dr Laupu Bussim

• July 16, 1975 – Wednesday – First executive meeting at the Post graduate room, 2nd

floor, Clinical Science Building, PMGH.

• September 16, 1975 PNG Independence • November 4, 1975

– First AGM held at 3.30pm Angau Memorial Hospital, Lae. – Affiliation to APPSEAR with membership fee of US$50. – No membership fee.

1975 Pioneer members

• Dr John Biddulph - SSMO Paediatrics POM

• Dr C. Bowie • Dr Laupu Bussim – Lecturer

Child Health UPNG • Dr Lenga Dopenu – SMO

Paediatrics Lae • Sr Dalai Farrow – Paediatric

Nurse tutor POM • Dr Neville. Henry – MO III

training Madang • Dr Kathleen Murtagh -

Lecturer Child Health UPNG

• Dr Margaret Neave – SMO Paediatrics Lae

• Dr Brenda Payne – SMO Paediatrics Mt Hagen

• Dr Peter Pangkatana – Lecturer Community Medicine UPNG

• Dr John Stace – SMO Paediatrics Madang

• Dr Ambrose Suebu – Paediatric Registrar POM

• Dr Jeffrey Tuvi – Paediatrician POM

• Dr J. Vall

Meetings 1974 - 1984

• 1976 • 1977

– September 6, Basic Medical Science Building, UPNG (3.00pm) (Tutorial Rm 2) Port Moresby, NCD

• 1978 – September 8, Family Health Teaching Unit, PMGH – Theme : Priorities for child health in PNG. (1.00pm)

• 1979 – September 7, Minogere Lodge, Goroka (3.45pm) EHP

• 1980 – September 19, Madang Hotel, Madang Madang Province

Cont..

• 1981 – September 24, Nonga School of Nursing, Rabaul ENBP

• 1982 – September 9, Family Health Teaching Unit, PMGH Port

Moresby, NCD

• 1983 – September 8, Conference Room, Angau Memorial Hospital,

Lae, Morobe Province.

• 1984 – September 30, Goroka, EHP – Theme : General delivery of primary health care including

immunisation.

1974 - 1984

• Presidents

• Dr Jeffrey Tuvi : – Pioneer president

– 1975 – 1976

• Dr Peter Pangkatana – 1977 – 1978

– 1983 - 1986

• Dr Laupu Bussim – 1979 – 1980

• Dr Lenga Dopenu – 1981 - 1982

• Secretary/Treasurer

• Professor John Biddulph 1975 – 1990

1977 members - 9 Paediatric nurses

• Dr John Biddulph Dr C. Bowie Dr Laupu Bussim Dr Lenga Dopenu Sr Dalai Farrow Dr Neville Henry Dr Kathleen Murtagh Dr Margaret Neave Dr Brenda Paine Dr Peter Pangkatana Dr John Stace Dr Ambrose Suebu Dr Jeffrey Tuvi Dr J. Vall Dr Edwin Brown Dr Stephen Oppenheimer Dr Frank Shann Dr John Vince Dr Hapo Maliaki Dr Peter Howard Paul Bua Bagire Gomara Dr Jean Hamnett Lim Malibun Naomi Ora Pauline Tarugege Yvonne Tawia Norma Thomas Rose Tsiroats

1977 members plus

• 1978 : – Dr Subras Sharma SMO

POM – Dr Andrew Tulloch SMO

Rabaul

• 1981 : – Dr Jane Baker SMO

Kundiawa – Dr Andrew Blair SMO

Mendi – Dr Keith Edward SMO

Wewak – Dr Pimbo Ogatuti SMO

Rabaul

• 1981 : – Dr Peter Poore SMO Lae – Dr John Sairere Paediatric

registrar POM – Dr Pannicker Samuel SMO

Mt Hagen – Dr Manase Saott Pediatric

registrar POM – Dr Ben Tahija Mater

Children’s Hospital Brisbane

– Dr Phillip Watt Paediatric registrar POM

Achievements in the first decade

• 1975 – Production of the standard treatment book for common illnesses of

children in PNG.

• 1976 – Production of the fourth edition of the Child Health textbook for HEO's

and Nurses.

• 1977 – Formal admission as a member of IPA at an IPA meeting in New Delhi

in October 1977. – First revision of the standard treatment book. (Revision committee:

Dr's Biddulph, Vince, Stace, Shann, Oppenheimer and Sr D.Farrow)

• 1978 – Infant Feeding Control ACT.

• 1979 – Second revision of the standard treatment book. (Revision committee:

Dr's Biddulph, Vince, Bussim, Shann, Stace)

• 1981 – Production of the third edition of the standard treatment book for

common illnesses of children in PNG.

• 1982 – Revision of the third edition of the standard treatment book. (Revision

committee: Dr's Vince, Smiley, Barker, Blair) – Standard treatment book for APO,s produced by Dr Keith Edwards.

(Buk bilong helpim APO lukautim Pikinini i gat sik – Fourth revision of the Child Health textbook for HEO's and Nurses.

• 1984 – Production of the fourth edition of the standard treatment book. – Infant Feeding Control ACT amended.

Past: Decade :1985 - 1994

• Since decade 1, meetings were convened every September during the week of the medical symposium.

• 1985 – Workshop on ORS at Arawa School of Nursing, North Solomons

Province. – Resolution on ORS made at the AGM after the workshop. – Production of the sixth edition of the Child Health textbook for

HEO's and Nurses in PNG. – Addition of Measles Vaccine to the immunisation schedule.

• 1987 – Deletion of space in Baby Health Book for Smallpox and addition

of Measles.

• 1988 – Production of the fifth edition of the standard treatment book.

• 1989 – Revision of the sixth edition of the Child Health textbook for

HEO's and Nurses in PNG. – Suggestion of annual subscription of K20.

• 1990 – Prof John Biddulph left PNG after 30 years of service to child

health. – Prof John Vince became Professor of Child Health in December.

• 1991 – Membership fee K10 per member.

• 1993 – Production of the sixth edition of the standard treatment book.

The late John Arthur Biddulph Founding Professor Child Health

1935 - 1998

Prof. Robert Arthur John Biddulph

• First Professor for child health PNG

• Born 1935 in England then moved to Australia

• 1954 came to PNG as 3rd year medical student at Sydney University

• Ela Beach Hospital in Port Moresby & Milne Bay

• 1961: employed by NDoH & posted to Angau MH, Lae

• 1962 : Teach at the newly established Papuan Medical College (SMHS – Taurama campus)

• “Love of children & a deep concern for their parents”.

Entrance to TB Ward (Old Wing PMGH)

• 1991 – He retired & returned to Australia after 30 years of

outstanding service and immense contribution to child health service of PNG

• 1993 – he became ill

• 1994 – The Acute children’s Ward of the New Wing of PMGH is

named “ The Biddulph Ward”.

• 1998 – 6th January, he died in Brisbane – The Biddulph Memorial Account was opened in 1998. – To assist sick children and assist in training doctors &

nurses in child health – Westpac Bank account

Professor John Vince

Prof Vince

• SMO Paediatrics, PMGH and Honorary lecturer in Child Health March 1976 – 1990.

• Professor Child Health 1991 – 2010

• Associate Dean Postgraduate SMHS 1996 to date

• Deputy Dean SMHS 2006 to date

• Director of Taurama Postgraduate studies & research centre SMHS 2011 to date

Acute Ward (Old Wing PMGH)

Malnutrition Ward (Old Wing PMGH)

Wards

Jica Wing

1985 - 1994

Presidents

• Dr Peter Pangkatana

– 1983 - 1986

• Prof Tefuarani

– 1987 – 88

– 1992 – 93

Secretary/Treasurer

• Professor John Biddulph 1975 – 1991

• Professor John Vince 1992 – 1999

Present

• Decades 1995 - 2004

• And 2005 - 2014

Present

Presidents • Dr Robert Danaya

– 1994 – 1997

• Dr David Mokela – 1998 – 2009

• Dr James Amini – 2010 to date

Secretary/Treasurer • Professor John Vince 1992 –

1999 • Dr M.Kiromat

– 2000 – 2007

• Dr James Amini – 2008 - 2009

• Secretary • Dr Cornelia Kilalang

– 2010 to date

• Treasurer • Dr Gilchrist Oswyn

– 2010 to date

Highlight : STB ‘The Blue Book’

• First produced in 1975 • Original aim

– stated in the forward to the first edition by the director of Public Health Dr A.Toua was

– “to allow the busy nurse, HEO or doctor to prescribe quickly standard treatment that are simple safe and effective”

• Undergone significant changes since its introduction 40 years ago

• First edition : 18 clinical topics (not listed in alphabetical order) in 49 pages

First edition clinical topics

• Accidently poisoning

• Anaemia

• Colds & Bronchitis

• Conjunctivitis

• Convulsions

• Diarrhoea

• Low birthweight babies

• Malaria

• Malnutrition

• Measles

• Meningitis

• Milk mixtures

• Neonatal infections

• Osteomyelitis

• Otitis Media

• Pertussis

• Pneumonia and bronchiolitis

• Tuberculosis

Additional clinical topics • 2nd edition 1978 – 8

– Babies born before arrival – Diarrhoea lasting more than 2

weeks – Fever – Immunisation – Medicine for mothers to take

home – Pigbel – Skin diseases – Poisoning

• 3rd edition 1981 – 1 – Asthma

• 4th edition 1984 – 5 – Burns and Scalds – Lymph gland enlargement – Resuscitation – Snake bite – Urinary symptoms

• 5th edition – 1 – Diarrhoea with blood -

dysentery

• 6th edition 1993 – 2 – Sexually transmitted diseases – Typhoid

• 7th edition 2000 – 4 – Breastfeeding – HIV infection – Oedema – Yaws

• 8th edition 2005 – 1 – Child Abuse

• 9th edition 2011

‘The Blue book’

• Stood the test of time • Increased in content and

complexity • Evolved with science and

time hence to a greater extent the treatments listed are evidence based

• Currently the blue book has – 39 clinical diagnosis – Foreward page – General instructions – Drug doses – Paediatric rules and checklist – and 148 pages

• Its use by health workers according to surveys maybe variable however it is still..

• Highly valued

• The best and in many situations the only tool available for managing children in PNG.

• Simply the best tool

Present Achievements

• 1996 – Feeding survey and

recommendations made.

• 1999 – Production of the seventh edition

of the Child Health textbook for HEO's and Nurses in PNG. Membership fees increased to K50 per member.

• 2002 – Vitamin "A" supplementation

policy for children in PNG.

• 2007 - 2009

– Child Health Policy and Plan 2009 – 2020 and strategic implementation plan 2009 – 2015

• 2010 – Introduction of Hib

• 2011 – approval of Pneumoccal vaccine &

introduction of Pentavalent Hib vaccine

• 2015 – Introduction of inactivated Polio

vaccine (IPV, Salk vaccine) next year due to the development of vaccine derived polio virus.

– Measles/Rubella vaccine next year.

• 2014 – Policy decisions and activities for

nutrition for children

Reflections

• Forum for presentation of many research papers supporting the Paediatric training in PNG.

• Forum for discussions of important child health issues

• Relationship with O & G team looking at neonatal and perinatal issues

• Introduction of PHR collated for NDoH

• Affiliation to international societies APPSEAR & IPA allowed for presentation overseas, training & meetings for members.

• Members continue to provide leadership in child health issues at national and international levels. – Prof Tefuarani chairs committee for

certification of elimination of measles

– Dr Ripa member of international review committee on vaccinations (independent).

Future

• Depends on continuing what the society does best, provide an avenue for training and provide advise on child health issues

• Done through strong society leadership • Leadership can only be continued through the willingness

of young members of the society to take leadership & responsible roles, practicing ethically & upholding a high standard of self discipline.

• Leadership confident enough to be confrontational when the need arises.

• Increasing its memberships – Gender balance – Highest number of female doctors & female specialist (31.7%)

Acknowledgements

• Society executives

• Members of the past two decades

• National Department of Health

• University of Papua New Guinea SMHS

• All Provincial hospitals, Provincial Health & PHA’s

• Development Partners

Paediatric Society of Papua New

Guinea 1974 - 2014

1974

Beyond

2014

This your story ……..

……and our history.